


Night of Fire - Trevor

by thoseindarkness



Series: Gotham Short (Night of Fire) [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 09:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12296514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoseindarkness/pseuds/thoseindarkness
Summary: NOT RELATED TO THE "GOTHAM" SERIES ON NBCGotham is a strange place to live. Dangerous. Violent. Corrupt. Filled with colorful villains and dark heroes. Why would anyone live there? Well, why don't you ask them? Night of Fire tells the story of what happens to ordinary people when extraordinary things happen in Gotham.





	Night of Fire - Trevor

_Everyone who lives in Gotham has a Joker story. The longer you live here the more stories you rack up, but everyone has ONE Joker story. The one that scarred them. The one that screwed up their life. That’s the thing about him. He’s the one that touches everyone no matter how big or small his prank. Everyone who lives here has been burned by him in some way. Some way ugly._

_My Mom got toxxed in the big gas. She died a few days later. It’s kind of fucked up to say that we were the lucky ones. We were. She was just gone. Me and my Dad, we got to bury her, mourn and move on with our lives. Not everyone was so lucky. I got friends who still have a living parent gone totally bug nuts. One guy I know, both his parents were toxxed. He spent months looking for them. Not knowing. Then he found ‘em. They spout abuse at him every time he visits. No hope of a cure. Still, he keeps at it._

_After Mom died I was pissed at life. School. My dad. The cops. Gotham. Everything. I felt powerless. This girl I was hooking up with got into a Robin Crew. Started repping the colors. Talkin’ ‘bout we needed to fight back. We’re the little guy. It was time for other people to stop sticking up for us. We were gonna stick up for ourselves. Sounded great on paper. Until they made it illegal on paper._

_Do you see them? Flying around you? All the fucks I had to give._

_I wasn’t gonna stop. It was the only thing that made me feel like I was in control. I was fifteen. I didn’t know shit about control. I didn’t know shit about shit. I just knew I was angry and this city was completely fucked and I was doing something about it. I felt invincible._

_When I heard about the boot camp, man, it sounded hella sketchy. None of my crew believed the real deal was gonna show up and show us what was what. We went because everyone was going. They would have thought we were pussies if we didn’t. It was legit, though. First time in my life I’d ever seen a cape up close. I got punched in the face by Robin. THE Robin. Red Hood asked me to steal tires off a bunch of mob guys cars. It was cool as fuck… until we all got arrested._

_My Dad had a fit. I lost my part time job cause now I had a record. Since I was helping pay the bills it hit us hard. My Dad threatened to kick my ass out if I didn’t get good grades at school. I wouldn’t call ‘em good but I didn’t flunk nothing. Eventually I got this job on the docks. Bowery East. Under the table, but it was legit work. Nothing with the mob or drugs or anything. The foreman was just trying to save money on night shift differential. I realize now how illegal that shit was. At the time, I just needed the money. Gotta eat._

_I was a couple months away from turning eighteen. Having my juvie record sealed. All that Robin crap was gonna drop off. Get buried. Then I was a free man. I could do what I needed to do. You think I would have learned by then. You take what life hands you. In Gotham you don’t always get to make the plans._

***

“Lunch is up in ten.” The foreman yelled.

“Yeah boss.” Trevor said.

“I hear ya old man.” Johnny said.

Chris nodded.

“You found a job yet?” Johnny asked.

“No.” Trevor replied. “I don’t turn eighteen till end of June but I got finals next weeks. Worry about those first. Graduate. Then I’ma start looking.”

“You should start looking now.” Chris said in his deep, gravelly voice. He was from Zimbabwe and though his English was excellent his accent was heavy. His words always even and measured.

“Give the kid a break.” Johnny said, running a meaty hand through his thick white hair. “He’s gonna work his whole life. Let him be young for a couple more weeks.”

Chris smiled. All shiny white teeth in his charcoal colored face. “This city has already robbed him of his youth. It will take much more away in time. Gotham is no place for innocence.”

“Forget you.” Johnny stood. “Don’t listen to him kid… kid?”

Trevor was staring across the dock yard at the rapid growing orange glow.

“What’s up kid?” Johnny turned. “Shit.” He took a deep breath and hollered. “FIRE!”

They were all up immediately. The two dozen men who worked the night shift. Trevor, having faced a few emergencies in his short stint as a vigilante, went into the building behind him. The rest of the night crew was running full tilt to the source of the blaze. Inside, the foreman was already on the phone with ES. There were combustibles all over the yard. Better a fine for illegal workers than a complete loss of inventory.

Trevor set off down the yard carrying two extinguishers. Johnny was fat, old, slow. Trevor caught up to him quickly.

“Take this. I’ll run ahead and you can…”

Both their heads turned in the direction of the maze. The spot on the dock where they kept the metal shipping containers. They’d both heard it. Gunfire. Shadows moved. Then a muzzle flash. Trevor was almost certain he’d seen… couldn’t have been.

“Come on old man.” He said, turning back to the shipboard fire. Someone shouted behind him. He turned back. It was him after all…

That was the last thing he remembered.

***

_I’ve seen all the news coverage from that night. The online videos. I even saw the security camera footage from the buildings nearby. What happened that night. What I did. Truth is I don’t remember most of it. Little bits and pieces have come back to me. I still dream about it._

_When I woke up I couldn’t hear anything but the ringing in my ears. I could barely see through the smoke. Johnny was lying face down in front of me. Not moving. There was blood everywhere. Chris… they recovered half his body. The half that had flown over toward the maze. I remember the feeling of choking. I remember how hot it was. Like the air itself was on fire. Burning your lungs. It was heavy._

_I couldn’t feel my body. I felt the heat. Not the pain. Like when you cut yourself real bad and you don’t feel it until you look. I couldn’t see so I couldn’t tell how fucked up I was. I just didn’t feel anything. In my dreams, I wander around like that for hours. Choking. Burning. Dead mean everywhere. In pieces. Or half charred._

_It was years before I remembered the smell. Someone told me scent is the closest sense linked to memory. I think it’s why I couldn’t eat anything off a grill for years. My first flashback was at a girlfriends house. Her family made whole, spit roasted pig. They got drunk. Forgot to check on it. It started to burn. You could smell the skin and hair on the face charring. I freaked the fuck out._

_There was one thing about that night that stood out though. One sensation I never felt. Fear. I was afraid after. When I started to remember. But when I dream about it. When I’m walking though the docks while the world is on fire… I’m not afraid. I don’t remember being afraid then either. It just wouldn’t come. Maybe it was the adrenaline. My Dad always told me I was too stupid to be afraid._

***

Someone was talking too fast. Laughter. Trevor tried to open his eyes. It was dim but his eyes still stung. He groaned. He tried to move. His right arm was stiff. His neck was stiff. Something warm squeezed his hand.

“T? Can you hear us?” A woman. Familiar.

He tried to speak. His mouth felt like it was filled with old glue. His eyes found the source. A blonde with coke bottle glasses.

“Shug?” He croaked.

“Hey. You remember.” She smiled. “Ben’s here too, and Riko.” Her head darted around the room. “Jake. Molly. Duke. Where’d Carter go? Papa Dukes, where’s Carter?”

“Hell if I know?” Duke responded. “Do I look like his keeper?”

Shug gave him the one finger salute before turning back to Trevor. A hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head. It was Jake. His best friend.

“Hey Trev. You remember me?” Jake asked.

Things were a little sluggish, but he knew exactly what to say. “Bumblebee tuna.”

“Yeah.” Jake chuckled. “It’s good to have you back. If you remember this time.”

“This time?” Trevor whispered.

“You’ve been in and out for a few weeks.” Shug said. “Sometimes you don’t remember people. Sometimes you do. The doctors say it’s okay for now. You’re just a bit loopy. We’ve been coming by to see you since they took you outta that coma.”

“SHUG!” Molly yelled.

“Anyone ever tell you, you got a crap bedside manner?” Duke asked.

“Yeah. My brother. Every morning when I wake his ass up for school.” She squeezed Trevor’s hand again.

“Can…” Trevor cleared his throat. “Can I get up.”

The whole room seemed to press in on him with a chorus of ‘no.’ He tried to laugh and ended up coughing. His throat was like sandpaper.

“Bed fool.” He said. “The bed.”

They all exchanged confused looks. Duke smiled. “I think he wants the bed upright. I’ll get the nurse.”

It took five minutes to get him into a sitting position. The nurse gave him water. Checked his vitals and warned the others not to wear him out. He needed rest. Trevor felt like he’d been dead. It only occurred to him then what was missing.

“Where’s my dad?” He asked.

“Work.” Jake said.

That couldn’t be right. It was dark out. His dad worked days. Trevor shook his head. “What time is it?”

“Seven thirty.” Riko said. She looked pale.

“Dad gets out a five.” Trevor said.

“Look T. Maybe you should wait a bit. Talk to your Dad.” Jake squeezed his shoulder. “A lot’s happened since the accident. It would be better if you heard it from him.”

“Fuck that.” He looked at the one person who would tell him. “What happened?”

Shug’s eyes flicked around the room. “Come on guys. He wants to know.”

“We should wait for his Dad.” Riko said.

“No.” Trevor corrected. “Tell me what’s going on. At least tell me where my Dad is.”

Molly stepped up to the edge of the bed. “He had to get a second job. Your medical expenses are being covered by the survivors’ fund, but he needed a second job to keep the apartment.”

“Survivors’ fund?” It dawned on him then. “How long have I been out?”

“Bro, you should wait.” Jake started.

“How long?”

“The good news is, you’re eighteen now.” Shug said. “Happy belated birthday.”

“How long.”

“Seven weeks.” Jake said.

“Dad told me not to take that stupid job.” Trevor sighed. “He’s probably so pissed right now.”

“No way.” Shug brightened. “Dude, you’re a hero.”

Trevor frowned.

“She ain’t lying.” Duke said.

“What are you guys talking about?” Trevor asked.

“Do you remember anything? From that night?” Molly asked.

Trevor thought about it. Things were still a bit scrambled. He tried to focus on it, but it slipped away. He shook his head.

“Someone got hold of the security camera footage. It cuts out a few times. System reboots after the blast, but the whole things has a remote upload.” Leave it to Shug to know the details of how the security cameras work on the docks. “There’s footage of you waking up after the blast. You’ve got blood coming out of your ears and nose. Your arm was shattered in like seven places, but you’re limping around checking on people. You pulled a guy out from under a giant piece of hull, dragged him to safety. Went back helped someone else. You saved like four people. Then the crane fell.”

“Jesus Shug.” Duke said. “Bedside manner.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. He’s a fucking hero Duke.” She smiled brightly. “Look around. Balloons. Flowers. You’ve got like fifty cards here. That video went viral. It’s insane the number of…”

Trevor was tired. Her words swam though water. A moment later he was asleep.

***

_I was in the hospital for a long time. In recovery for longer. Eventually I saw the video. I still don’t remember doing any of it. Those weren’t the parts that came back, but that’s okay I made up for it. I busted my ass. Made a full recovery. I saw a therapist for years. In the end the best therapy I found was getting back on the horse in the most literal way possible._

_I became a firefighter. No joke. Me. A hood rat from The Hill one of Gotham’s Finest. It was my shrink’s idea. Sort of. She said I needed to face my fear so I did one of those Fire Rescue camps when I was twenty. I loved it. I went right into Academy. Best choice I ever made._

_Turns out all the shit I did as a kid paid off. No one held it against me. In fact, there are a bunch of guys in Rescue or on The Force who used to run in Robin Crews. I get a bit of my adrenaline junkie out. I stay fit. But underneath all that I still was a kid who felt powerless and I didn’t want to feel that way for the rest of my life. Easy enough to do in a place like this._

_I was a Robin. I was viral video hero. I was a survivor._

_That’s what we are in Gotham. Survivors. This city forges them in flames. The strongest of us give back. I still wear the colors. I still believe. I know I saw the Bat that night. It’s why I do it. Chris was right. This city takes. It takes away innocence. It takes away pride. It also takes away fear and doubt. It gives too. I’ve saved a lot of lives in the years I been doing this job. Seen a lot a smiles and happy tears._

_It’s a hard place, but I think it’s a good one. It made me stronger. It made me better. It made me give back. I owe this city a debt. I pay it every day. In fire and blood._

_You don’t fuck with Gotham._


End file.
